The present invention is directed to children""s ride-on vehicles, and more particularly, to a children""s ride-on vehicle with a bucket assembly.
Battery-powered children""s ride-on vehicles are popular toys for children. The vehicles may be modeled after real-life vehicles operated by adults. To enhance the appeal of the children""s vehicle, many of the features available on the adult model are simulated on the children""s vehicle in both appearance and operation. For example, movable buckets, trunks and hoods are all features that may be imitated on the children""s vehicle and may look like the adult feature, and may also have matching functionality.
Examples of real life vehicles that have appeal to children are construction vehicles, such as loaders. Loaders typically have a large bucket or shovel attached to the vehicle that can be lowered for loading and raised to a variety of positions for transport and unloading. Such a functional loader or moveable shovel may be appealing to children. However, in adapting a children""s vehicle to resemble a loader or to have a moveable shovel, additional safety features must be provided to make the vehicle suitable for use by young children.
The present invention provides a children""s ride-on vehicle with a bucket assembly. The bucket assembly includes a bucket configured to carry a predetermined load and at least one arm, which is selectively moveable between a first lowered position and a plurality of raised positions. The bucket assembly includes a handle adapted to move and selectively retain the arm in each of the positions. The arm is also adapted to breakaway from a raised position when the predetermined load is exceeded. The bucket assembly may also include a pinch mechanism and a stopping assembly to prevent the bucket assembly from being forcibly moved beyond the standard positions.